Breakfast in Bridgetown with Paul Gerald on PDX.FM

Location:

The Story:

One trend that really took the food cart world by storm was to use social media as a tool to build buzz and a loyal audience. One tactic is to announce your location via Twitter. In other cities where the carts can’t necessarily park in the same spot every day, it has become vital for the customer to keep apprised of the next location. Here in Portland, trucks like Koi Fusion and Van Schnitzels have used this method successfully. Now comes Sweet Wheels, a fully mobile van selling cupcakes.

Peter Lu launched Sweet Wheels in June with a tweet storm the first week he was open. I wish Twitter had a mapping tool so I could retrace his travels. One minute he was parked in SE and soon after that, downtown and later in the day, NE. With his smaller van, he can pretty much go anywhere at the drop of a hat. Portland has some great cupcake shops that have successfully survived the cupcake revolution of the last decade, but now, we have a cupcake only food truck. And they’re good.

We were down by PSU at SW 4th and Hall when I saw Sweet Wheels parked in the gas station. Since I knew he roamed, I jumped at the chance to get some treats. I’m not normally a sweets fan, especially after lunch, but needed to try them. His menu for the day included vanilla with chocolate, red velvet, coconut with white chocolate, chocolate with strawberry and a few others. I ordered an assortment so my lunch mates could try some. Secretly, after seeing them all, I wanted to ditch my lunch and just eat cupcakes. That first bite of the chocolate with strawberry was decadent. Sweet, creamy, moist, melt in your mouth chunk of love. These weren’t the cupcakes we made when I was a kid. Everyone else who tried one that day emphatically stated they were some of the best they’d had.

Peter and his Sweet Wheels is ironing out regular locations for the week so we don’t have to sit by Twitter waiting for an announcement. As of this week, they have been at NE 9th and Multnomah on Monday, SW 4th and College on Tuesday and Thursday and will be at SW 2nd and Oak on Friday. These are some great cupcakes. Drop on by and pick some up for you and your friends and let Peter know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• All cupcakes are $2.50
• Flavors vary, and may include vanilla w/ chocolate, chocolate w/ strawberry, coconut w/ white chocolate, red velvet and more.

Hours: 11:30am at each location
Phone: 503 87 SWEET
Website: SweetWheelsPDX.com
Twitter: @SweetWheelsPDX Facebook: SweetWheelsPDX

Location:

The Story:

We don’t have many closures of late in the food cart scene of Portland, but many were saddened when SpudLocker and their unique military cart closed this past spring. Yet, with a closure comes change in the form of a new cart. Joslyn’s Ciao Chow has taken over the ubiquitous cart on the corner of SW 2nd and Stark with a bright new paint job you can’t miss.

Joslyn worked in restaurants for many years before leaving for corporate America, yet, in the past few years, with the changes in the economy and life, Joslyn decided she wanted to get back to the kitchen and found the SpudLocker cart on Craigslist. With a background in Sicilian cooking and having lived there for awhile, Joclyn put together a robust menu offering complex Italian pasta dishes and more. From that small kitchen, she manages to crank out 20 different dishes.

The day we visited, my lunch mates were immediately drawn to the menu and began ordering with the perfect pronunciation and accent required for Italian fare. I just stood there and read the menu, asking – “What did you just order?” Luckily, Joslyn came to the rescue to explain each dish to me with simple terms like pasta with vodka sauce or meatballs with sauteed vegetables. I stayed simple with Pasta al provero, “poor man’s pasta.” Spaghetti with a generous amount of garlic, olive oil and crushed red chili flakes was just the right amount for lunch. The noodles were al dente, but not crunchy, and the garlic and red chili gave the dish a wonderful spice that had more flavor than heat. A good portion with bread for $5. Now that I’ve had a moment to take in the entire menu, I think I would order the prosciutto wrapped melon or the sliced flank steak wrapped around scallions and Fontina cheese next time. Wow, what a menu.

Joslyn’s Ciao Chow isn’t just about pasta. She offers a secondi menu which includes seared chicken breast, thinly sliced flank steak and even fresh fish. Well made pasta is a treat and we have only a few carts in the city doing it well. I’m happy to see the former SpudLocker tank reborn as it is always fun to look at the strange control panel inside the cart. Wander on down to SW 2nd and Stark and give Joslyn a try. Let her know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Antipasti

• Bruschetta classica: fresh tomatoes and basil atop grilled bread – $3
• Bruschetta di olive – grilled bread topped with homemade olive tapenade and goat cheese – $3
• Prosciutto con melone: slices of melon wrapped in prosciutto di parma – $5

Insalate

• Caprese: fresh Mozzarella layered with heirloom tomatoes and basil finished with olive oil – $5
• Rucola: arugula tossed with cherry tomatoes, shaved Parmesan and lemon vinaigrette – $5
• Babuchia: roasted red pepper stuffed with feta cheese on mixed greens with balsamic vinegar – $7

Primi

• Penne alla vodka con gamberi: penne tossed in vodka sauce topped with sauteed shrimp – $9
• Pasta al povero: “poor man’s pasta” spaghetti with garlic, olived oil and crushed red chili flakes – $5
• Cavatappi con la salsa: Cavatappi tossed in a light and fresh tomato basil sauce – $7
• Penne con Pesto: penne in fresh basil pesto with kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes – $7
• Pasta del Giardiniao: pasta with sauteed local seasonal vegetables in a light white wine broth – $7

Secondi

• Pette di pollo: seared chicken breast served on mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette – $7
• Involtini: thinly sliced flank steak wrapped around scallions and Fontina cheese – $9
• Scampi: shrimp sauteed in butter and white wine with garlic and fresh herbs – $7

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-2pm; Saturday, lunchtime into early afternoon
Phone: 503 432 0434

Slow & Low

Rockabillies, another sandwich cart, but from downtown has moved to the new Good Food Here pod on SE 43rd and Belmont. Opened earlier this year, I think the SE location may provide them with a better customer base than where they were downtown. The pod – Good Food Here is quickly growing and has become the talk of the town in the last few weeks.

[Updated July 26, 2010]

Namu, a great Korean BBQ cart has also moved to SE 43rd and Belmont from their location on Hawthorne. has opened a 2nd location at SE 43rd and Belmont. No move, just expansion. I guess we’ll need to venture south to make a visit.

Location:

The Story:

Summer is here and it brings the heat. While Portland doesn’t experience the heat like the south or the muggy conditions like the east cost, when the mercury crosses 80, we start to sweat and seek out the nearest water. Portlander’s also look for cool treats and the food carts are satisfying these needs. Oregon Ice Works opened in spring to bring Portland an alternative to the traditional dairy ice cream.

Kevin Bell is the brains behind Oregon Ice Works and the creator of the treats on the menu. He keeps it pretty simple for the ice items – fresh fruit or herbs like mint or cilantro, organic cane sugar and ice. Put it all together and you have Italian Ice, Oregon style. I understand Kevin is from Philadelphia or at least spent some time there. His Oregon Ice is similar to what the Philadelphians know as water ice, something they say can only be found there. Thank Kevin for providing Portland with our version of this cool icy pleasure.

The flavors offered by Oregon Ice Works are ever changing from lemon or blueberry to boyznberry or razzberry and even vanilla coconut or mojito, there is always something to cool you down. [his z's] We tried the bozynberry and blueberry on a hot Saturday afternoon while wandering the streets of Sellwood. Italian Ice is mostly flavor of the fruit and sugar. Unlike ice cream which has that creamy velvety texture, Italian Ice just quickly melts on your tongue and presents you that burst of sour or sweet, depending on the choice of fruit. With the boyznberry and blueberry, our mouths were tart for an hour. Both were great and half way through, we traded. I love visiting the carts with others – I get to try more items.

Sellwood is lucky to have this great cart this summer. 13th street is a busy hub of activity most weekends with shoppers visiting the antique shops that neighborhood is famous for. If you’ve never been down there, check it out and stop on by Oregon Ice Works. You won’t be disappointed. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Italian ice sizes:

• Kids: 1 scoop – $2; 2 scoops $3.50
• Adult: 1 scoop – $3; 2 scoops $4.50
• Smoothe: $4.75

Some available flavors: lemon, boyznberry, razzberry, mango-pine, passion pit, pineapple, blueberry, vanilla coconut, mojito

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday: 12:30-8pm; Thursday: 12:30-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 12:30-9:30pm
Facebook: Oregon Ice Works

O' Cupids - new on SW 3rd and Stark

Portland was listed as the “World’s Best Street Food” by CNN/Budget Travel. Granted, you don’t have to convince me that Portland and our now 580 licensed carts are some of the best in the land. I think I’ve eaten at most of them by now. Way to go food carts, Portland is proud of you.

_______________

In other national news, Food Network has skipped over Portland’s food trucks for their new show “The Great Food Truck Race.” Really? Isn’t Portland the model for so many cities right now as they decide on how to launch food carts? I know I’ve had conversations with people in power in LA, Cleveland, Vancouver BC, Atlanta and so on. And yet, we’re not included in the race. Oh well. We still have Whiffies.

_______________

Speaking of Whiffies, did you catch the latest Wired magazine? In an article titled TweetCarts, Whiffies is profiled with three others as “Twitter plus rolling restaurants – the perfect mashup.” Whiffies has 3600+ followers on Twitter and is a perfect example of how to use social media as a marketing tool. Way to go Gregg. [BTW, Nick Zukin is the new PieChamp, downing 10 pies in 30 minutes last Sunday.]

_______________

The Fried Onion is offering a discount to Food Carts Portland readers until 8/20. Drop on by their cart at SE 3rd and Alder and mention that Food Carts Portland sent ya and you will receive a free drink and chips with any purchase.

_______________

It is ThirdWednesday again and this month’s benefactor is Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, a nonprofit that builds girl’s self-esteem through music creation and performance by providing workshops, technical training and leadership opportunities. The carts participating in this month’s ThirdWednesday are donating a portion of their day’s profits and tips to the cause. If you are out and about, visit one of these carts and help out your future rockstar neighbor. Carts:

• Big-Ass Sandwiches at SW 3rd and Ash
• Give Pizza a Chance at SW 5th and Stark
• The Big Egg at Mississippi Marketplace
• Whiffies Fried Pies at SE 12th and Hawthorne
• Ninja Plate Lunch at SW 3rd and Ash
• Built to Grill at SW 3rd and Stark
• Ali Baba’s at SW 10th and Alder
• Kettle Kitchen at N Killingsworth and Greeley

_______________

Finally, Wednesday, July 21 is Guam’s Liberation day. Celebrate it by enjoying a taste of our island at PDX671, Portland’s only Guam inspired cart. Located at North Station at N Killingsworth and Greeley. They’ll be open 12-2 & 5-8.

Happy Carting!

Location:

The Story:

When I first heard of Wet Hot Beef, I thought it was a sandwich name and not the actual name of the cart. I chuckled and then full belly laughed to learn that it was the cart name. Ingenious! Catchy! Memorable. One of the first carts to open at the new Dreamer’s Marketplace Pod on NE MLK, Wet Hot Beef is mimicking the success model of serving up a single item done right – roast beef sandwiches.

Shane Hendren, the man behind the beef, set out to create a signature roast beef sandwich, doing beef research to find high quality meat that would satisfy his “beeftooth.” The Piedmontese beef Shane chose is known to be one of the most tender and leanest stocks available. Sourced from Montana but processed in Oregon, Shane wanted to find the best and he did. Along with the roast beef, Wet Hot Beef also offers house made potato chips with flavors tarragon vinegar or curry chocolate. Roast beef and a side of chips – a great combo.

Wet Hot Beef offers their signature sandwich in three different preparations – Naked, Dressed and Indecent. A Naked is simply sliced Piedmontese beef with au Jus on a French roll. Upgrade to the dressed with house made pickled vegetables and caramelized onions or top it all off by throwing some Swiss Béchamel sauce over everything for the Indecent. I not a fan of the au jus dipping sauce traditional to roast beef sandwiches, but Shane doesn’t do a dipping sauce. He takes the au jus and spreads it on the French roll then places the beef and other ingredients atop. He then wraps the sandwich and places it in a 12oz cup so as you eat, the juices drip down into the cup and not on your shirt or pants. A wonderful presentation and ingenious idea. I enjoyed the Dressed and was particularly impressed by the house made pickled beets and red onions. They added a nuance to the buttery roast beef that I really enjoyed. The beef was tender as described with little musculature, so you didn’t have to bite your way through the sandwich pulling to much beef out on every bite. These are large sandwiches, so be prepared. Pair it with the house made chips and sodas and you have a winner.

As stated, Wet Hot Beef is now open as one of the first carts at Dreamer’s Marketplace, a new pod on NE MLK. Situated in the parking lot of an old NE Portland bank, the building on the site is being remodeled to house a music venue and pub. Another great re-use of existing empty land and structures. Head on over to the lot to try one of these signature sandwiches and let Shane know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Naked: sliced Piedmontese beef with au jus on French roll – $6.25
• Dressed: sliced Piedmontese beef with au jus, house made pickled vegetables, caramelized onions on a French roll – $6.75
• Indecent: a Dressed with double au jus and cheese sauce – $7.50
• House Made Potato Chips – $1.25

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm
Phone: 360 609 9008
Facebook: Wet Hot Beef

PDX BridgeFest, a citywide event to celebrate the city’s bridges, is happening from July 23-August 8. One event, the Brunch on the Bridge will close down the Hawethorne Bridge for the morning of August 7. They are looking for food vendors for that day. If you are a cart and available, contact Jess Sword @ jsword at wweek.com.

_______________

The African cart Asaase Ital Palace down off 4th has closed. But don’t fret, it was purchased by a couple of guys who have cleaned, renovated and relaunched it as Mobster Meatballs. If you’re down there, drop on by and welcome them. I understand they give out free meatball samples liberally daily. SW 4th and Hall.

_______________

Speaking of changes in carts, it appears that Rick’s Wild Seafood is closed and for sale. Sad. They made some great fish tacos. If you are looking for a great cart, drop on by at SW 3rd and Ash for more information.

_______________

Sunday, July 18 is another Sunday Parkways, the event where the city closes neighborhood streets for bikes, pedestrians, skaters, and children to wand about the neighborhood. I have been to two this year and they are a wonderful way to connect with your fellow Portlanders. Sunday’s event is EAST, showcasing the area east of I205 and south of Powell Blvd. There will definitely be some food carts along the way, so head on out and meet your neighbors and envy over their amazing flower beds. 10am-3pm Sunday. More information at PortlandOnline.com

_______________

POD news: SE is getting some new Pods. SE 43rd and Belmont is now open with a couple of carts and another pod is prepping to open at SE 50th and Division. NE Portand has a new spot looking for carts at NE MLK and Lombard. Lastly, Beaumont Village out off NE 48th and Fremont has an opening – contact deborah@takenoticecards.com for more information.

_______________

Caraquena at North Station is celebrating their 1 1/2 yr anniversary with a party on Sunday, July 18. “CART + SOUL:” A day of casual eats and casual thrift! Come down and try food from one of 12 different food carts, listen to some jamz, and shop outdoors at a multi-vendor garage style sale! Beer and wine available! Featuring DJs ill camino and trans fat. DARK SKIES will be playing at 8:30pm. Congrats to Caraquena! North Station is at N Killingsworth and Greeley.

Happy Carting!

Location:

The Story:

I chuckled the first time I heard this cart’s name. Happy Grillmore. What a great play on words. When I visited, I learned that Grilly Madison had been an early front runner. Granted, a cart isn’t just the name, but have a catchy name and a well prepared product and you should garner a great following. I think Happy Grillmore may have those two ingredients.

Happy Grillmore is the work of Kryse and Darren. Kryse is the brains behind the menu and Darren works the counter. The cart offers up mostly sandwiches, but they do have specials including kalua pork, spam musubi, tacos and mac and cheese. A broad menu to satisfy even the pickiest eater. Kryse and Darren are also in a prime location for the morning commute and open at 7am to serve breakfast, placing them on that small list of carts who open early.

I visited on the first day they were open and ordered one of their specials, a black bean and chipotle burger. The burger is hand made daily mixing the chopped chipotle peppers into the black bean mixture to make one tasty patty that isn’t too spicy. You may think the chipotle (a roasted jalapeno pepper) would overwhelm the palatte, but it doesn’t, giving more of a smoky flavor than a spicy one. The burger was placed with arugula, avocado and a spicy mayo on roll instead of a bun. What I loved the most was the bitterness of the arugula mixed with the spicy smoky flavors of everything else. A great mix of flavors.

Happy Grillmore is now open weekdays at 7am to feed you. Located between 2nd and 3rd ave, just west of Mother’s Bistro. Kryse and Darren were kind and welcoming and put together a quality product with a bit of humor. If you’re an Adam Sandler fan, check out the menu and play the game of figuring out which movie each sandwich comes from. I think there is a Wedding Singer reference in there somewhere. Drop on by Happy Grillmore if you’re looking for a new sandwich spot and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Breakfast:

• the Lucy: Portuguese sausage w/ rice & egg – $6
• the Nick: Spam w/ rice and egg – $5
• the Sonny Koufax: fried egg and cheddar w/ arugula – $4

Sandwiches:

• the Bernice: grilled Nutella and banana – $3.50
• the Jullian: choice of peanut or almond butter w/ bananas or jelly $3
• the Georgie: cheddar, havarti & brie grilled cheese – $4.50
• the Love Stinks: egg salad – $3.50
• the Chuck: salami and herb roasted turkey w/ havarti and arugula – $4.50
• the Chubs: 1/3lb Angus beef patty w/ cheddar and arugula – $4.75
• the Conchata Ferrell: 1/3lb beef and chorizo patty w/ havarti and arugula – $5
• full menu available at happygrillmore.com

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7am-2:30pm
Phone: 503 369 3981
Email: happygrill@me.com
Website: HappyGrillmore.com
Twitter: @HappyGrillmore Facebook: HappyGrillmore